Cardiac rhabdomyoma: an uncommon culprit in sudden infant death

Sudden death in infants remains a common and poorly understood cause of childhood mortality in the USA. Pediatric cardiac tumors, although rare, may underlie some cases of unexplained sudden infant death. Autopsy is a crucial diagnostic step in these cases, as both gross and microscopic examination...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Forensic science, medicine, and pathology medicine, and pathology, 2024-09, Vol.20 (3), p.977-982
Main Authors: Mecklenburg, Kori L., Mitchell, Erik K., Prahlow, Joseph A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Case Report
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Forensic Medicine
Heart Neoplasms - complications
Heart Neoplasms - pathology
Humans
Infant
Male
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Myocardium - pathology
Pathology
Rhabdomyoma - pathology
Sudden Infant Death - etiology
Sudden Infant Death - pathology
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Summary:Sudden death in infants remains a common and poorly understood cause of childhood mortality in the USA. Pediatric cardiac tumors, although rare, may underlie some cases of unexplained sudden infant death. Autopsy is a crucial diagnostic step in these cases, as both gross and microscopic examination of the heart may uncover occult cardiac tumors. Rhabdomyomas are the most common cardiac tumors in childhood and may result in arrythmia and sudden death. We present a case of sudden death in a healthy 5-month-old infant which initially appeared “SIDS-like” until thorough histological analysis revealed an underlying cardiac rhabdomyoma. The case is of particular importance in that the gross examination of the heart was considered completely normal, and the tumor only involved certain portions of the heart microscopically. Had a single random section of myocardium been the only heart section examined microscopically, the diagnosis might have been missed. This case emphasizes the importance of thorough microscopic examination in infant cases, especially in cases where the heart appears grossly normal.
ISSN:1556-2891
1547-769X
1556-2891
DOI:10.1007/s12024-023-00737-9